My Heart to Your Heart
by TraceyI
Summary: Legolas falls in love with a mortal woman.
1. My Heart to Your Heart

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart

By TraceyI

1/18  
My Heart to Your Heart

Rated R

She was outside chopping wood when the orcs came.  There were two of them, and they wanted water from her well.  She attempted to chase them off her property, but they came at her with their swords.  Tracilena was a strong woman, a shieldmaiden of the East Emnet of Rohan, and she wielded her sharp ax well, but she knew she was no match for two orcs.  She fought bravely all the same, determined to die with honor, and to take at least one of them with her.  

It felt to her as though they fought forever, and exhaustion started to overtake her.  Just when she thought she could not parry another thrust, all three heard the clear, sweet sound of an elven voice singing in the woods.  The distraction proved just enough, and Tracilena dealt one of the orcs a mortal blow to the head with her ax.  At the same time, however, the other orc stabbed her with his bent sword, a glancing blow to the chest.  She paused, and all would have been lost for her if not for the arrow that flew into the clearing.  The orc fell on her and then to the ground, dead, the arrow through its neck, before Tracilena ever saw the elven archer enter the area behind her thatched hut near the stable.  

The elf approached the woman, who managed to get out a weak "Thank you, master elf" before she pitched forward into his arms.  He laid her down carefully on the ground, seeing the bloody tear in her dress just over her heart.  He ripped away the fabric and saw the redness, swelling, and pus, sure marks that the blade had been poisoned.  He picked her up in his arms and carried her into the small but warm home and placed her gently on the bed, covering her before going in search of healing herbs and something to bind the wound.  

As he ran out the door, he noticed an herb garden, and was pleased to see _athelas_ growing there.  In a single graceful move, he pulled one of his long-handled knives from its sheathe at his quiver and cut away a handful of leaves.  He dashed back inside, swung the kettle on its pivot over the fire and found a bowl, into which he crushed the _athelas_.  While the water boiled, he located clean bed linens and tore them into strips.  He then steeped the _athelas_ in the hot water, whispering incantations over the healing herbs.  All the while, he frequently checked on the woman, gently removing her dress.  She remained unconscious, burning with fever, as the wound festered.  Finally, when the herbs were ready, he gently bathed her wound and bound her 'round with the fabric strips.  Then he sat and watched over her, scarcely moving.

For several days, he rarely left her side.  He occasionally held her head in his lap and tried to get a little water down her throat, into which he had crumbled some _lembas_ to give her strength.  He regularly changed her bandages and cleansed her wound, but it did not appear to improve, and he was afraid that she was beyond his elvish medicine.  After midnight on the fourth night, her fever turned to chills, and she shivered uncontrollably under all the blankets the elf had been able to locate.  

He made a decision that few elves ever made, strangely enamored of this brave woman who had taken on two orcs by herself.  He removed his tunic and, taking his blade in his hand, he sliced a gash in his own side, just over his heart.  He then climbed into bed next to her, positioning himself so that her naked breast was against his smooth and hitherto unblemished skin, the two wounds touching as the blood flowed from his gash over hers.  He held her trembling body, covering it with his own to keep her as warm as possible, whispering all the while, "My heart to your heart, my soul to your soul, my strength to your strength," creating a bond between them that could never be broken.  It took all his strength and will to maintain that bond, and as her shivering finally subsided, he fell asleep, still covering her with his body.  

When he awoke in the morning, her fever had broken, and he knew that she would awaken at any moment.  He leaned down and brushed his lips against her forehead, her eyelids, then down to her nose and finally her mouth, breathing strength into her as she finally, slowly came back to the world.  She instinctively knew to keep her eyes closed, not sure if she was awake or dreaming, feeling the bond between her and the elf deepen with his sweet kiss.  His hand stroked her long, red ringlets before trailing down her side as he reached to loosen his breeches.  She felt the smooth leather against her thighs as he settled himself further between her legs, finally breaking the contact between their two hearts and centering himself above her, never stopping their sweet, slow kiss.  When he felt that she was ready, he slowly slid himself inside her.  He made love to her gently and patiently; elves do not rush such things.  As he felt her passion grow around him, he released himself into her, consummating the bond he had created between them.  

She finally opened her eyes, taking in the piercing blue eyes and the long blond hair braided at the sides and back.  The elf still atop her was fair of face beyond the measure of Men, and she would have loved him instantly even if they were not bound together.  

"What is your name, m'lady?" he asked.    
  


"I am called Tracilena," she answered in a dazed whisper.  He leaned closer and kissed her.  "I am Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of the Woodland Realm in Mirkwood."  


	2. Elvish Medicine

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart 

By TraceyI

2/18

Elvish Medicine

Rated PG-13

Legolas propped himself up on his elbows.  "Am I hurting you?" he asked, suddenly reminded that her body was very weak.

"No, my lord," she answered, "but I am quite weary."  Legolas gently rolled over onto his back, pulling Tracilena onto her right side with her head on his chest.  His body was slender as a willow wand, but the muscles of his arms were like strong ropes that held her fast.  "Rest now, my bond-mate," he whispered to her, kissing the top of her head as she softly stroked along his raised scar, already healed, that marked the site of their bond.  The elf continued speaking in a lilting singsong. "Sleep peacefully in the knowledge that, right now, you are safe in my arms, no evil shall come to you, and nothing can part us.  Your body has become one with mine and is healing.  Our souls have touched. Our destinies are bound together from this day forth."  With that, Tracilena drifted off into a blissful sleep, surrendering to beautiful dreams of life and love.

Legolas, too, was still weary from the effects of their bonding.  He lay for a long time, stroking Tracilena's red hair, pondering the new track his long life had taken in the course of a mere day.  In the life of an immortal elf, a day is as a second to a mortal, but this day was different from all the others in his nearly three thousand years that had preceded it.  He had never been in love before, had never felt it appropriate to his wandering nature.  And here he had fallen in love almost at first sight with a mortal woman, and to keep her near him long enough to meet her and find out who she was, he had bonded himself to her.  Part of him wondered if he would come to regret it, but the rest of him knew that, when the stars align so that a bond is created, it is always the proper course.  He relaxed into a light sleep with his eyes open, wrapping his arms tighter around the sleeping, smiling woman.

Tracilena slept the day and night through.  When she awoke the next morning, she felt stronger and refreshed.  She reached up for her elf's silky chest, and realized that he was not there.  It took her a few moments to recognize the sound that had awakened her – the sound of someone chopping wood.  She slowly got up in stages, first sitting with her back against the wall, then swinging her legs over the side of the bed, then finally teetering to a standing position.  Wrapping her naked body in one of the blankets, she carefully made her way to the door.  As she passed through onto the small porch, she noticed that snow had fallen heavily in the previous few days, the beginnings of an early winter.  Legolas was busily chopping the wood on which she had been working when interrupted by the orcs, standing on top of one of the snowdrifts as if he were weightless.  Tracilena wondered for a moment what he had done with the bodies.  He looked up when he saw her, dropped the ax, and glided gracefully down the drift, sliding to a halt just before her.  "You should spend at least two more days abed, Tracilena," he chided her, enjoying the feel of her name as it tripped off his tongue for the first time.  He lifted her in his arms and carried her back into the house, wrapping the blankets tighter around her.  "Besides which, you haven't had anything to eat."  He laid her back on the bed, arranging pillows around her so that she could sit up.  "We have enough firewood to keep us warm for many days now, and I have brought down a deer.  There will be venison broth for dinner tonight, but for right now, what you need is _lembas_ and a cup of _athelas_ tea to build up your vigor."  

"But you are a guest in my home, Prince Legolas" she protested weakly.  "I should be cooking for you."  

"There will be time enough for that, my bond-mate," the elf answered.  "Now eat up and let my elvish medicine do for your body what my love will do for your soul."


	3. The Sound of Her Heartbeat

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart 

By TraceyI

3/18

The Sound of Her Heartbeat

Rated R

After Legolas had fed her dinner in bed and cleaned up, he brought a candle over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it.  "How are you feeling?" he asked with sincere concern.  

"Much better," she answered.  He slowly undid his tunic and reached for her, and was surprised when she hesitated.  

"What is the matter?  We are bonded now."  

"It is just that…" Tracilena blushed "until yesterday I had never been with a ma…with anyone."

"I know that, my sweet," Legolas said softly.  "But I shall always be gentle with you, and our love will grow stronger every time we make love."  He reached for her again, taking her face in his hands and kissing her softly.  He pulled away for a moment to blow out the candle, and then returned to his kiss.  While still kissing her chastely, he reached down and loosened the laces of her nightgown, pulling it off her gently.  He then reached around her and entangled his fingers in her long hair, pulling her closer. He climbed into bed next to her, pulling off his breeches, and lay next to her a long while, kissing and caressing her soft, womanly body.  Tracilena responded to his touch, and soon they were making beautiful, gentle, sweet love.  

When they had finished, they fell asleep together, Legolas singing softly with his head cushioned on Tracilena's ample bosom, lulled by the sound of her heartbeat.

And so it went.  During the days, Tracilena schooled Legolas in the ways of the farmer, showing him how to grow enough for their own needs.  And every night, they made slow, pure, tender, delicate love.


	4. The News

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart 

By TraceyI

4/18

The News

Rated PG-13

"Legolas, my prince," Tracilena said to him one warm early summer day, "why do you always seem so earnest?" 

"What do you mean, my beloved?" he responded.

"In the months that you have been here, I do not think I have ever heard you laugh or seen you smile," she said with a frown.  "Do not the Fairer Folk enjoy their long lives?"

"I am a warrior and a wanderer, my love," he answered.  "Have I ever been anything other than gentle with you?  And you always marvel when I sing to you and play the lyre."

"You are as gentle as a lamb with me, Legolas, and the moon shines upon my nights when we make love.  But the songs you sing to me so sweetly I begin to understand as you teach me _Sindarin _are songs of war and triumph.  Even the beautiful ode to Beren and Lúthien Tinúviel, the _Lay of Leithian_, a story so like our love, ends in bitter tragedy.  There are no songs of joy in your heart."

"I am a warrior and a wanderer," Legolas repeated plainly.  "It has not been my lot in life to revel in the simple joys of Man or Elf.  In my father's realm, there are feasts and merriment aplenty, but I have chosen a path less traveled.  I am sorry if you expected something else, for I cannot be anything different from what I have been for these ages."  

"Do you regret your decision to bond with me?" Tracilena asked, her voice trembling.  "Do you wish to leave me?"  

"No," the elven prince averred, "I do not wish to leave you, Tracilena.  The bond I created between the two of us is a life-long one, and I made the choice to create that bond freely.  It is stronger than any marriage vow of Man, Elf, or any other of the Free Folk of Middle-earth.  I am deeply in love with you, my bond-mate, and I will remain with you for all of your days.  The only place I wish to be is where I can lie with you at night and listen to your heart beat.  Why do you speak so?"

"Legolas, my love," Tracilena began.  She stopped, looked down, took a deep breath, and then looked him in the eye.  "I am with child."  


	5. The Custom of My People

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart 

By TraceyI

5/18

The Custom of My People

Rated R

Without a word, Legolas picked up Tracilena in his arms and carried her to the stream that ran through the property.  He did not stop at the edge, but waded straight in, still carrying her.  When he reached the middle of the stream, he knelt down until the woman was floating on her back in the sunlight, her dress billowing around her.  He gently removed her clothing and then silently undressed himself, letting their clothes drift away downstream.  He lay on his back in the water next to her, his long golden hair flowing around him like a halo.  He then reached one hand across her and laid it on her belly, finally speaking.  "It is the custom of my people to celebrate the joy of an impending birth with a ritual cleansing, a new beginning."  They floated like that together for some time, his hand protectively over the new life begun within her, the sun and water cleansing away all dolorous thoughts of the past.  The corners of his mouth turned up in the barest hint of a smile, as if unsure how to form such an expression of happiness, but she did not see it.

Finally, Legolas let the lower part of his body sink into the water, turning to Tracilena.  He kept one hand on her belly, and he wrapped the other around her neck and drew her toward him.  The knowledge that she was carrying his child aroused a tremendous passion in him.  He kissed her, gently at first, then more and more deeply until he drew away, and she gasped as he layered kisses along her jaw, throat, and neck before moving back to hungrily devour her mouth.  As he knelt, the water coming up to his chest, he finally drew his hand from her belly and ran both of his arms down her back, encircling her waist as she arched back into the water, her milky white breasts pointed at the sky.  He leaned forward, balancing her back on his hands as he took first one and then the other nipple into his warm, soft mouth.  Their lovemaking had always been about the love of their hearts and souls, not the hunger of their bodies, and these new sensations sent thrills shooting out from her spine and throughout her body.  Tracilena moaned with delight, and the response of her body was too much for Legolas.  Elves may not rush such things, but they are capable of fiery fervor.  He pulled her upright toward him, wrapping her legs tightly around him, driving himself forward, pushing himself into her center.  His hands cupping her smooth bottom, he pulled her to him again and again until they both cried out in ecstasy, his face buried in the breasts that would so soon fill with milk for their child.  

When they finally moved apart, they returned to their previous positions – floating naked, wreathed in red and golden hair, Legolas's hand on Tracilena's belly.  Tracilena was the first to break the delicious silence.  "I hope he or she has your ears." And Legolas's laugh was as the sound of water falling over chimes of _mithril_.

That night, Legolas laid his head on his bond-mate and listened to two heartbeats instead of one.


	6. The Lesson

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart 

By TraceyI

6/18

The Lesson

Rated R

"Legolas, teach me how to shoot," Tracilena demanded one golden afternoon.  

"You could not draw my bow, beloved," Legolas responded.  "Even I, as a young elf, had to train for many years before I could wield the mighty bow of a warrior.  But if you wish, I will make you a lady's bow – a pregnant lady's bow – so that you can hunt with me.  I will always be near to you and our child, and you will never need it for protection."

Legolas started by showing Tracilena how to make arrows and choose the wood and feathers, attached with antler, for straight flight.  He then carved a beautiful, graceful bow for her, spending many evenings by the fire decorating it with elegant, spiraling traceries of ivy.  He also made her a quiver of buckskin, embossing it with twining morning glories, her favorite flower.  Finally, he made a bowstring with his own hair.  When he presented her with these fair gifts, his reward was great indeed, and the sound of their bed creaking under her expressions of thanks rang late into the night.

The next day, Legolas went outside and set up two bull's-eyes near the garden and hung a wooden ball the size of a fist on a line from a tree at the very edge of the tree line before bringing Tracilena into the garden.  There they sat in the sun while they braided each other's hair back away from their faces.  Legolas then stood Tracilena behind a line he had drawn 25 paces from the targets.  "It is easy," he said casually.  In a series of fluid, lightning motions that all melded into one, he curled his bow around his leg, strung it, lifted the bow with his left hand, pulled an arrow from its quiver with his right hand, nocked it, sighted to the teeth, let fly the arrow, and used the recoil to pull another arrow from the quiver, and then the bow sang again.  The ball hanging from the tree 100 paces away was pierced by the first arrow, which in turn was split by the second.  

"Legolas," Tracilena purred sensuously, her passion ignited by his display of grace, strength, and skill, "you should have shown me how to shoot long ago."

In an equally fluid series of motions, Legolas unstrung his bow, laid aside his equipment, undid his breeches, tumbled Tracilena to the grass, and lifted her skirts.  "You're right, I should have," he gasped as he lay atop her, panting, a few minutes later, their clothes in disarray and grass in their hair.

After they had recovered sufficiently, Legolas lay back on the grass, kicked his feet up into the air, pushed back on the ground over his head with his hands, and sprang to his feet.  Tracilena loved when he did this, and he knew it.  He reached down and helped her to her own feet.  "I may never learn how to shoot," she said as she re-laced her bodice, "but you have taught me many amazing things."

"Of course you will learn how to shoot," Legolas stated firmly.  He showed her how to don the quiver and string the bow, then turned her so that her shoulders lined up perpendicular to the line he had drawn before the two targets.  Standing behind her, he held the bow that he had so lovingly made for her in his left hand and pointed out exactly where to grip it in relation to the nock.  He then took her right hand in his and began to reach around her for the bowstring, placing her index, middle, and ring fingers on it.  He then began to draw his hand away, letting it wander across her newly blossoming tummy.

"Stop that!" Tracilena commanded.  He slowly and lightly drew his fingertips back toward himself, but turned and slipped them down her side and across her firm bottom.  She slapped away his hand.

Legolas sighed and reached back for the bowstring, his hand guiding hers in gripping the string and drawing it toward her face.  He helped her to pull it all the way back and line up the shot, and slowly pulled his hands away.  "Now take a deep breath," he told her, "and smoothly let go with all your fingers at once."  Tracilena took a gulp of air and let go, the arrow flying wide of the mark.  

They practiced for the rest of the afternoon.  At first, Legolas stood with his arms wrapped around Tracilena, helping her get the feeling of the proper positioning, his right hand wandering across her breast, belly, thigh, hip, and bottom every chance it had, no matter how many times Tracilena, giggling, tried to push it away.  Then Legolas moved to the other target and picked up his mighty warrior's bow, demonstrating perfect shot after shot for her as she tried to emulate his graceful style.  Tracilena's arrows flew closer and closer to the target, occasionally hitting it.  

Finally, after several hours, Tracilena scored a bull's-eye, and she jumped up and down in triumph.  She threw her arms around Legolas's neck, still holding the bow in one hand, and kissed him hard.  He quickly unstrung and laid aside his own bow, reached behind him, took her bow and unstrung it, and set it aside, still kissing her.  He finally was able to give his hands their freedom to wander wherever they pleased, down her bodice and up her skirt, fairly ripping her clothes off her as he pulled her to the ground, caressing every inch of her body with his hands and then his mouth.  They made love with a fiery fervor, screaming each other's names into the woodlands of Rohan.  He then picked her up and swept her into the house and their bed, leaving their clothes outside where they lay.  


	7. A Welcome Visitor

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart 

By TraceyI

7/18

A Welcome Visitor

Rated PG-13

The man came in October as Legolas was bringing in the wheat harvest.  At first he thought the elf was one of the _Rohirrim_, a man with long blond hair hanging in his face, wielding a scythe.  When he got closer, he doubted what his sight told him.  But the blond, with his elf eyes, had identified the man first, dropped his rustic farming implement, and come at a run.  The man held out his right arm, prepared for a mighty clasp of warriors' forearms.  Instead, the elf pushed aside the proffered arm and drew the ranger into a warm embrace.  "Aragorn!" Legolas cried.  "It is wonderful to see you!"  

Aragorn was stunned.  Was this the aloof warrior he had known most of his mortal life?  Gone were the woodland brown tunic and braids that held his hair back for wielding his mighty bow.  If Legolas's pointed ears had not poked out from under his long, straight hair, there would have been no indication that here was an elf, and a warrior prince among elves at that.  Legolas wore a white peasant shirt, open to the waist, and had dirt on his face and under his fingernails.  But what stunned the ranger even more was the elf's expression.  It was one of pure joy, a smile so contagious Aragorn could not help but return it.  "What are you doing here, Legolas?" Aragorn asked.  "It has been many moons since we have come across each other in our wanderings, and your father the king has been seeking for you."  

"I no longer have wanderings," the elf answered simply, ignoring the second part of the ranger's statement.  

Aragorn took Legolas by the shoulders and examined him from top to bottom.  "Legolas," he said in amazement, "your flawless elven skin bears a scar.  Have you formed a bond?  I thought that practice died out with the last age."  Legolas merely grabbed his old friend by the arm and hastened across the field toward his adopted home.  

"Tracilena!"  Legolas called.  "Come outside, there is someone here I want you to meet."  Tracilena came out of the house, removing her apron and smoothing her hair, preceded by seven-and-a-half months of pregnant tummy.  Legolas hurried toward her, taking her right hand in his and laying his left hand along the small of her back, gently pushing her forward.  When she stood before the man, Legolas made the introductions.  "Tracilena, this is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, of whom I have spoken so many times."  

"It is an honor, my lord," Tracilena responded, lowering her head.

"And Aragorn, my friend, this is Tracilena, my bond-mate."  Legolas grinned widely as he wrapped his arms around Tracilena's waist from behind, holding her belly proprietarily.  "Isn't she beautiful?"  Tracilena blushed and reached up behind her, trailing her fingers up Legolas's neck, under his hair, and further up to the sensitive point of his ear.  Legolas shivered with delight, emitting a sensual growl from the back of his throat as he nuzzled and nipped at the back of her neck. 

Aragorn was at a loss for words, and did not immediately respond to the introduction.  A complete sea change had come over someone he had known as closely as a brother.  For a moment he was certain that they would start tearing off each other's clothes as he stood there.  "A... a pleasure to meet you, m'lady," he finally stammered.

Tracilena, seeing the ranger's discomfort, covered Legolas's hands with her own on her belly and leaned her head back to plant a kiss on the cheek that was now nuzzling the side of her neck. "You must be hungry, Aragorn, my lord.  I will set another place for supper.  Legolas slew a wild boar this morning," she added proudly, "and it has been roasting all day.  If you wish to wash up, there is a basin by the garden door."  She pulled away Legolas's hands, eliciting a disappointed sigh, and went into the house.

"Well, my friend," Legolas began, still grinning, "what have you to say about all of this?"

"I think you have gone mad," Aragorn stated, bordering on anger.  "Bonded to a mortal woman, with a mongrel child on the way?  What would your father say?  You must know that he has had many of his subjects seeking you for months on a matter of utmost urgency."  

The angry reply the man expected did not come.  "You, Estel," Legolas said with the smile that so unnerved the ranger, using the elven name under which Aragorn had been raised at _Imladris_, "are in no position to pass judgments.  You are a mortal betrothed to the daughter of an elven lord who just happens to be your foster father."  Aragorn conceded the point.  

"Come, friend, we will speak no more of this for now," said Legolas as he clapped the ranger across the back.  "We both must clean up before my beautiful but fastidious Tracilena will let us in the house for supper."


	8. The King's Summons

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart

By TraceyI

8/18

The King's Summons

Rated PG-13

Over perfectly prepared wild boar and a pleasant ewer of wine, the three chatted during supper.  Aragorn brought Legolas up to date on some of his adventures over the previous few years.  Legolas listened intently, Tracilena politely, searching Legolas's face for some hint that he missed the wandering life.  To her satisfaction, she found none.  Legolas told Aragorn of how he and Tracilena had come together, but when pressed for more details of his comings and goings, he had nothing more to offer than the simple pleasures of farming and building furniture for the baby.  

After supper, while Tracilena cleaned, Legolas and Aragorn moved to the porch, Aragorn with his pipe and Legolas with his flagon of wine.  Legolas lit a coal fire in a brazier to ward off the chill of the autumnal evening, the full harvest moon rising on the horizon.  "All right, Aragorn," Legolas began finally, "tell me what you came to tell me so that you can leave and bear my greetings to my father."

Aragorn started.  "You will be leaving this place soon, Legolas Greenleaf," he said firmly.  "A royal summons from your father King Thranduil is not to be ignored."  

Legolas refused to take the bait.  "I have found where I belong, and I am staying right here," he responded, still maintaining his joviality.

At that moment, Tracilena, finished with the post-prandial clean-up, came outside.  "Legolas, my love," she said, one hand rubbing her belly and the other the small of her back, "I am going to sleep.  Will you come in and say good night?"  Legolas excused himself, leaving Aragorn on the porch with his pipe.  Legolas was gone for nearly half an hour, and Aragorn was forced to walk around the garden in embarrassment to avoid the sounds of shushing, giggling, and lovemaking.  

"I apologize profusely for imposing reality on your domestic bliss," Aragorn said with more than a hint of sarcasm when Legolas finally came back outside, running a hand through his somewhat disheveled golden mane, the laces of his shirt loose about his neck.  "You have been summoned.  Great and foul deeds are afoot.  Gandalf the Grey and I have been tracking a vile creature called Gollum on and off over the last eight years, in the vales of the Anduin, in Mirkwood, in Rhovanion, and Gandalf even unto Mordor.  When we find him – and we must find him – he is to be entrusted to Thranduil's care. To your care, Legolas, says your father the king.  As I said before, it is a matter of utmost urgency.  This creature is slippery, and you are the only one of the skill necessary to hold him.  You have been a warrior these past ages, my ageless friend.  A few diverting months playing farmer has not changed that.  You must leave this place and return to your home, and you must do so immediately.  It is your bond and duty.  Legolas, the fate of all Middle-earth hangs in the balance, and that is no exaggeration.  You must know that a shadow has been growing across all the free lands.  I wish I could tell you more, but I cannot."

"This is my home," Legolas responded softly, no longer smiling but refusing to get angry.  "My only duties now lie with Tracilena and our unborn child.  I will not leave her, and I will not take her on the dangerous paths to Mirkwood in her delicate condition.  She means everything to me, Aragorn."  

Aragorn decided to try a different tack.  "You can bring her with you.  I can tell by looking at her that she is a hardy woman, a shieldmaiden of Rohan.  Don't take her strength for granted.  If you leave immediately by horse, you can be safe in your father's glorious cavern palace within the month.  No one knows the paths to Mirkwood better than you do; you have passed through them times untold and suffered no harm.  You have made it clear that I must accept your bond-mate; you will do the same to your father once he realizes that she might bear the heir to his throne.  Tracilena will be able to give birth surrounded by the midwives and servants that should attend the arrival of an elven princeling or princess."  

Legolas sat, lost in thought, for several minutes.  "I do not deny that I would have Tracilena birth our child in more comfortable surroundings," he said slowly.  "Her family has a history of difficult births, and her mother died in childbirth.  But we so love the life we have made here together."  

"You will be able to come back," the ranger assured him.  "Once we have captured Gollum, we need only keep him out of the way while other events unfold elsewhere.  Once the crisis passes, you may return here – if you do not change your mind and decide to raise your family in the Woodland Realm.  There is talk that Thranduil wishes to cede the throne to you, if you will but give up your wandering ways.  And that you have already done.  The choice would be entirely up to you."

Legolas lay back on the porch, looking at the giant full moon and the stars.  Although he felt very strongly about where his duties lay, Aragorn was right: one did not simply ignore a summons from King Thranduil of Mirkwood.  "I will make no decision without Tracilena," he announced.  "Now, I am for bed.  We have no extra bed for you, unless you want to sleep in the cradle I have made, but we can make a comfortable enough spot for a ranger from pillows and blankets." With those parting words, Legolas went inside, placed a collection of pillows and blankets by the door, took off his clothes, climbed naked into bed next to Tracilena, curled himself around her belly, and fell asleep with his ear against her breastbone, listening to the heartbeats of the ones he loved.  Aragorn sat on the porch staring at the smoldering coals for a long time before falling asleep on the porch under the moon and the stars.


	9. The Decision

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart

By TraceyI

9/18

The Decision

Rated R

The following morning, when Tracilena awoke, Legolas was sitting up in bed. She yawned and stretched and struggled her pregnant way up to kiss him, turning to sit the way they did every morning – lying with her back against his bare chest, his arms wrapped protectively around her naked belly, experiencing together the early morning dance their unborn child performed for them each day.  But something was wrong in the way that he kissed and held her that morning, as gentle and as loving as he still was.  

"Aragorn has come to take you away from me, hasn't he?" Tracilena stated more than asked, looking straight ahead of her.

"My father the king has summoned me," the elf answered with great sadness.

"Why have you been summoned?" she asked, wounded to the core but trying to sound matter-of-fact.

"Aragorn tells me that it is a matter of grave import, a task that only my skills as a warrior elf can meet.  He says that the fate of us all, including you and our little one, lies in my going."****

"And so, my lonely wanderer, my brave warrior, you will leave me.  I knew that this day would come.  I just did not know that it would come so soon.  I will yearn for you every day of my life, and I will try to raise our child to know what a wonderful father he or she would have had."  Tracilena said all this plainly and proudly, just barely managing to keep control of herself and avoid dissolving into tears.

Legolas turned Tracilena in his arms so that she was sitting sideways in his lap, then he took her face in his hands and kissed her gently.  "No, my beautiful bond-mate," he said soothingly.  "I will not leave you and our child.  Either we both go to Mirkwood together, or I do not go at all, my father be damned."

She kissed him back.  "When do we leave?" she asked.

"Please, my beloved," Legolas pleaded, "We must mull this decision carefully.  Know this: I do not wish to leave our home and our life together.  I have lived many, many years, but only in the last one have I spent every moment in joy.  But as many times as I tell myself that my only duties are to you and our child, I cannot deny that I am the prince of the Woodland Realm, and owe fealty to my father.  He would not have sent Aragorn and others to look for me if it were not a matter of urgency.  So we must first decide whether we stay here and I refuse my father.  It would undoubtedly mean banishment for the rest of my immortal life.

"If we decide to go, we must leave within the week.  If everything goes well, we can be in my father's underground stronghold in time for you to be delivered of our child.  You will have the finest of medical care there, and I would fear less for your health when in the great caverns.  I could not bear to lose you during childbirth, as your father lost your mother when you were born.  That said, it is a long and difficult road to Mirkwood, and I worry for your health and safety during the trip.  It cannot be easy to ride a horse in your present condition."

Tracilena sat up very straight.  "Legolas Greenleaf, I am a shieldmaiden of Rohan.  I have spent as great a proportion of my life in the saddle as you have, and Eirudel will bear me well, pregnant or not.  I am unafraid of a little horseback ride in the woods.  If the fate of Middle-earth must rest in anyone's hands, let them be yours, for I know that you will save the world for the sake of saving our child and me.  So I ask you again: when do we leave?"  

Legolas was overcome with the love he felt for this mortal woman, and he pulled her back against his chest, curling himself around her life-filled contours.  He kissed her sweetly and deeply, until suddenly Tracilena pulled away.  "It's a good thing you've shown me how to wield a bow, as I am certain I will have to extract you from many misadventures along the way."  She tousled his hair and moved to crawl off across the bed before he could catch her, but he was too quick for her, at least in her pregnant state.  Laughing, he reached around her and began to tickle her belly, making her squeal and squirm.  Then she turned over quickly, reaching for both points of his ears simultaneously, making him gasp and moan.  He grabbed her arms and pinned them to her sides, rolling the two of them over twice on the bed, laughing until tears came to their eyes.  Then once again Aragorn had to make his embarrassed way across the garden, emerging from the hiding spot beneath the window where he had been listening.  Only this time, he had to go further afield, for they were no longer trying to quiet their passion.


	10. The Departure

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart

By TraceyI

10/18

The Departure

Rated PG-13

Aragorn stayed with them for a week, assisting Legolas in bringing in and storing the harvest and closing up the house while Tracilena packed.  When all was ready, they bid Aragorn farewell, wishing him speed on his errand.  The sooner he found the creature Gollum, Tracilena and Legolas reasoned, the sooner Legolas would be able to complete his task, and the sooner they would be able to return home.  Their parting was a joyful one, as Aragorn had slowly come to understand the depths of the love between Legolas and Tracilena, and he rejoiced in the effect it had on his fellow traveler.  As for Legolas, he was glad to have his old friend visit for a week.  Although Legolas rued the necessity of making the trip to Mirkwood, he did not hold it against the messenger, and the two long companions enjoyed their time together.

As Aragorn set off for the Misty Mountains to track Gollum, Tracilena and Legolas saddled up two of Tracilena's horses, Eirudel and Eisofil, and the third, Einoril, they loaded with provisions, many comfortable blankets (as Legolas insisted that Tracilena sleep in comfort on the journey), and the one thing Legolas would not leave behind – the cradle he had carved with such care.  

They set out northeast across the Downs and the South Undeep.  They crossed the Great River Anduin and passed into the Brown Lands and the North Undeep before coming to the great Wilderland that bordered Mirkwood to the east.  The way was long and difficult, the scenery dull and unchanging.  But the sheer delight of their companionship kept them from being bored, and they laughed and told each other things about themselves that they had never told another being, laying even barer their souls to each other, further emotionally deepening the physical bond they shared.

One cool afternoon, Tracilena felt mischievous.  "First one to the top of that hill gets a kiss!" she shouted without warning, spurring on Eirudel, her long hooded cape flowing behind and around her and the horse.  Recovering quickly from his surprise, Legolas on Eisofil followed in hot pursuit.  It was neck and neck, but Tracilena won in the end.  She slid down off her horse as Legolas jumped off his and ran laughing to Tracilena to give her her reward.  But Tracilena kept going down when she reached her feet, collapsing all the way to the ground, lying on her side, very pale, her arms wrapped around her belly.  "Tracilena, what is wrong?" asked Legolas in dismay.

"I think I gave your child a bit too much of a bounce," she tried to answer lightly through gritted teeth.  "I do not think I will do it again."  

As the trusty packhorse Einoril trundled up, Legolas hurriedly pulled out the blankets, making Tracilena as comfortable as possible.  "Is our baby all right?" he asked tremulously.  

"Yes, I think so."  Tracilena tried to smile.  "I think we should make camp now, though.  I need to rest."  

Legolas scurried around, building a fire and preparing food.  When he returned to Tracilena, she was asleep, curled up on her side in the fetal position, her arms still wrapped protectively around her belly.  The color was starting to come back into her cheeks, though, and she seemed to be sleeping peacefully.  Legolas sat watch over her for several hours.  Finally, at about an hour after sundown, she awoke.  "How are you feeling, beloved?" Legolas asked her gently.

"Much better," she replied.  "I think I could do with a little light supper."  She smiled.  "And you still owe me a kiss."

An honorable loser, Legolas was only too happy to oblige.


	11. Unwelcome Visitors

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart

By TraceyI

11/18

Unwelcome Visitors

Rated PG-13

Later that night, as they lay entwined in each other, they awakened to a sound they dreaded:  the howling of wargs.  The fire had died down, and Tracilena could see nothing in the moonless night.  Legolas leapt to his feet and ran to fetch his bow from the horses.  With his elf eyes, he could see that there were three of them circling the camp, ready to pounce.  Tracilena struggled to the dying embers and threw on some more wood, kneeling and blowing life to the fire, as Legolas strung his bow, aimed, and fired at the first warg, killing it as it leaped at Einoril.  Legolas then slotted another arrow and circled around toward the second warg, which was on the other side of the slowly glowing fire from Tracilena.  Suddenly, one piece of wood burst into flame, and Tracilena grabbed it from the fire and brandished it before her as she backed away from the warg and toward the horses.  As the warg charged him, Legolas brought it down with a single shot.  But at the same moment, the third warg rushed at Legolas from behind.  As Legolas turned to fire blindly, the animal suddenly reared back in fury as though it had been struck, then leaped forward again.  The brief pause gave Legolas the extra second he needed to properly align his shot and kill the beast with an arrow between the eyes, dropping it to the ground just before him.  As he wondered what had made the warg hesitate, he looked up and saw, in a circle of light from the one brand of the fire, Tracilena standing by the horses with her pregnant lady's bow.


	12. Mirkwood

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart

By TraceyI

12/18

Mirkwood

Rated PG

The rest of the trip across the Wilderland proved uneventful.  They turned west and followed the River Running until it ran into Mirkwood near the Old Forest Road and the Enchanted River, and there they crossed into the forest for the final leg of the journey.  On their fourth night in the forest, as they sat by the fire eating supper, they heard the sudden sound of laughter and saw red fires off to their left.  Legolas crept toward the sound, which suddenly stopped just as he was about to cross into the firelight, and the fires disappeared.  "Wait!" Legolas called out in _Sindarin_.  "It is I, Legolas, your prince!"  The fires winked back into existence as many elves emerged from their hiding places.  

The name was whispered among the elves:  "Legolas!"

One tall, willowy elf stepped forward.  "So you have finally answered your father's call."  

"Yes, Nimril," Legolas responded evenly.  He tried to keep a straight face, but was unable to do so.  "It is so very good to see all of you again!" he shouted as he ran from person to person, embracing them all.

The elves stood in shocked silence, much as Aragorn had.  Although they were wont to laugh and make merry at every opportunity, their prince had never joined in their mirth.  They wondered what change had come over him.  They did not have to wonder for long.

"Legolas?" a small voice spoke from just outside the circle of light.

Whispers began among the elves.  Legolas broke away from the group of elves and ran to Tracilena's side.  He brought her into the light, wrapped in her great, hooded cloak.  "My friends," he announced, "this is Tracilena.  She is my bond-mate.  Come closer to the fire and warm up, my beloved."  

If the elves had been stunned into silence before, they were astonished into it this time as Legolas drew Tracilena by the hand to the fire.  When she had been within its warmth for a few moments, he took both of her hands in his and held them together before his face.  "Are you ready?" he whispered.  She nodded unsurely.  Legolas kissed her forehead, then unclasped the cloak and drew it from her with a flourish.  The silence of the elves ended as they beheld their heretofore taciturn and standoffish prince's bond-mate, a very pregnant mortal woman.  

The elves all tried to speak at once, and nobody understood a word anybody said.  Again Nimril appointed himself spokesperson.  "Legolas, we must take you to stand before your father right away," he announced gravely.  

Legolas grinned mischievously.  "Nothing could make me happier."  His voice took on a graver tone as he added "but no one is to go ahead to warn him of our coming.  This is my news to tell him.  And we go no farther this night.  We will see my father in the morning."


	13. The King

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart

By TraceyI

13/18

The King

Rated PG

Although the elves made merry long into the night, Tracilena was weary and nervous about the coming day, and she and Legolas returned to their camp and lay together, listening to the singing and laughter until they fell asleep.

In the morning, after Legolas and Tracilena had packed up their camp, they and the elves set out for Thranduil's great caverns.  Their arrival at the great doors of stone, where the river ran under the bridge, created quite a stir, and all the elves they passed along the way followed them to the king's great hall, where the pillars were hewn out of the living stone.  King Thranduil was sitting on his wooden throne, crowned with berries and red leaves, when the doors opened, the trumpets rang, and the arrival of the wandering prince was announced.  Legolas, dressed once again in woodland brown and green, his hair braided in the fashion of the warriors of his people, entered the throne room proudly and walked to the foot of his father's throne, lowering himself to one knee, bowing his head, and curving his right hand across his heart.  "I have returned, as you requested, Your Majesty," he announced in a formal manner.  He waited for the king to acknowledge him, then he arose and smiled.  "It is very good to see you again, Father," he gushed as he threw his arms around the surprised king.  After he had released his father from the warm embrace, he stepped back, and found to his dismay that his father was not entirely happy with him.

"Where have you been?" the king demanded.  "We have been looking for you for many months."

"I have been in Rohan, where Aragorn found me less than a month ago.  I set out for Mirkwood as soon as I could," came the response.

"What in Middle-earth were you doing in Rohan?" the king asked, exasperated.

"I have been living there, and tilling the soil.  Father, I have tremendous news.  I have taken a bond-mate," he said as he opened his tunic to show his scar.  "I have brought her here with me."  He called out to the keeper of the door, who opened it again.  Tracilena entered and walked slowly toward the throne.  When she reached it, Legolas took her by the hand.  "This, King Thranduil, is Tracilena, my bond-mate.  She will bear a half-elven princeling or princess very soon."  Tracilena made as close an approximation of a curtsy as she could.

Thranduil folded his arms across his chest.  "What do you expect me to do?"

Legolas stood up very straight.  "I expect you to welcome her into your life as you would welcome an elven wife.  And if you are not prepared to do that, I expect you to say good-bye, for I will accept banishment rather than be separated from her."

Thranduil stared in astonishment, and everyone in the room held their breath, waiting to see the king's reaction.  Finally, the king got to his feet, walked to Tracilena, and placed his hands on her belly.  Then he wrapped his arms around both Tracilena and Legolas, and tossed his head back in laughter.  "My son the wandering warrior, a farmer and a bond-mate!" he hooted.  "Nothing has surprised me this much in many ages of Men!  This calls for a celebration!"  The gathered throng, and Tracilena and Legolas in particular, laughed in relief and joy.  And that's when Tracilena's water broke.


	14. The Arrival

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart

By TraceyI

14/18

The Arrival

Rated R

Tracilena's laughter cut off abruptly with a surprised cry.  "Legolas," she said, trying to remain calm, "the baby is coming."

Legolas sprang into action.  "Have all the midwives come to my chamber," he commanded.  "Make haste!"  He took Tracilena by the hand and led her through winding corridors to his prince's quarters.  "If we cannot have this baby in our bed at home," he reasoned, "then we should have it in our bed here."

When the midwives arrived, Legolas told them to fetch all of the remedies they had at their disposal, explaining Tracilena's familial history of difficult births and the fact that her mother had died birthing her.  For the full day and on through the night, the contractions came over and over again, never allowing Tracilena any respite.  Despite the midwives' protestations, Legolas refused to leave Tracilena's side, although he could do little more than hold her hand and speak soothing words to her, trying his best to use the lilting singsong that usually served as her lullaby, as she screamed and writhed in pain.  "The baby is in a breach position," one of the midwives called in frustration as dawn approached and the baby finally started to appear.  She reached inside Tracilena to turn the child and pull it from her, whispering incantations as she worked.  Finally, Legolas, still holding Tracilena's hand and mopping her brow, heard the sweetest song of his life: the first crying breath of his newborn son.  "A boy!" chorused the midwives.  "A prince!"  One midwife quickly cleaned and swaddled the infant and laid him to Tracilena's bare breast.  The new mother caught her breath weakly as the tiny mouth latched on and began suckling.  

Tears spilled down Legolas's fair elven face as he kissed his bond-mate on the forehead.  

"He's beautiful, my love," Legolas said with great emotion. "He has my ears, and there is only one name for him: Caranfindel."

"Red-haired," Tracilena whispered with a smile as she slipped into unconsciousness.  

Legolas's joy turned to horror as he looked down to see the midwives gathered around the pool of blood that was pouring from Tracilena's body.  They all uttered more incantations, mixed potions, and worked feverishly to stop the bleeding.  

* * * *

When Tracilena's eyelids finally fluttered open the next day, she beheld Legolas sitting next to the bed, holding Caranfindel and singing softly.  "Welcome back, my beloved bond-mate," he whispered.  "I thought I had lost you.  It took all of the skills of the midwives, and the healing hands of King Thranduil himself, to keep you alive."

Legolas arose, drew back the covers, and climbed into bed next to her.  He placed Caranfindel in her arms, then drew her head down on his chest.  "This feels so familiar," Tracilena mused.  "Do you remember when, just over a year ago, I lay with my head on your chest as your love healed me?  So much has happened since then."  She leaned down and kissed Caranfindel and then reached up to kiss her bond-mate.  

"Do I remember?" asked Legolas.  "It is a memory that I will treasure for eternity."  He kissed her and their son, and all three slipped into a deep and peaceful sleep.


	15. The Banquet

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart

By TraceyI

15/18

The Banquet

Rated R

Five weeks later, King Thranduil commanded a great banquet to celebrate the winter solstice and to formally name the baby.  The great hall was festooned with garlands of holly and berries.  All of the elves of the realm turned out to play music, sing, dance, laugh, feast, and welcome the new arrival with many splendorous gifts.  After all the guests had arrived, the king walked to the middle of the hall and clapped his hands.  Trumpets sounded as Tracilena and Legolas entered from opposite sides of the far end of the hall.  Legolas wore a knee-length tunic and breeches made of rich deep blue velvet embroidered with silver stars, and Tracilena, carrying Caranfindel, was resplendent in a green velvet gown embroidered with gold suns and moons, with gold laces up the sides, her waist-length red curls bedecked with dried wildflowers and cascading spirals of gold ribbon.  When the two bond-mates met in the middle of the room where the king stood, Legolas gently took Caranfindel, wearing a gown of the purest white silk embroidered in silver and gold patterns matching his parents' garments, from Tracilena as the two knelt before the king.  Legolas lifted up the baby, presenting him to the king for naming, as with all babies born in the realm.  

"From this day forth," boomed the voice of the king, "let this child be known as Caranfindel, son of Prince Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm."

The guests cheered as Legolas and Tracilena got back to their feet.  Music began to play as the crowd pressed forward to congratulate the couple and look for the first time on the beautiful, red-haired prince.

Caranfindel slept in Tracilena's arms throughout the feast, waking only once to nurse, blissfully indifferent to the fact that he was the center of attention.  After the meal, one of the baby's nannies took him back to his chamber by Tracilena and Legolas's, and the two lovers joined in the general revelry before the roaring fire.

After the merry-making was over and the visitors had left for their homes, Tracilena and Legolas wended their way hand in hand through the cavern's passages to their chamber.  When they arrived, Legolas took Tracilena in his arms and kissed her lovingly.

"You look so beautiful in that dress, my beloved bond-mate," he said as he slowly started to unlace it.  "But all I could think all evening was how much I wanted to rip it off you and ravish you.  If the midwives do not declare you healed soon, I think I shall go mad."

"Then I have good news for you…" Tracilena began with an impish grin, but that was as far as she got before Legolas, a look of naked hunger in his eyes, pinned her against the wall and kissed her with a mad passion, pulling wildly at her magnificent gown.  Tracilena tore at his garment, kissing back until she was gasping for air.  "Legolas, my love" she managed to get out between kisses, "Legolas, listen to me.  You must be gentle."

Legolas drew back a little in frustration as he struggled to loose Tracilena from her complicated clothing.  "I am not certain I can restrain myself," he announced as he finally freed her from the dress, swept her up in his arms, and carried her across to the bed.  "Tonight, I will make love to you like I have never made love to you before."  

And he did.


	16. Gollum

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart

By TraceyI

16/18

Gollum

Rated R

And so it went.  Whereas, little more than a year before, they had been farmers by day and quiet lovers by night, now they were devoted royal parents by day and mad, passionate lovers by night.  They delighted each day in holding their adorable child and cooed in blissful awe at everything he did.  

Then, in late January, Aragorn arrived with his captive, the strange creature Gollum.  Legolas could tell from the difficulty Aragorn had in controlling Gollum how clever and dangerous he was, and immediately ordered that he be held in the deepest dungeon of the underground fortress, where once Thorin Oakenshield had been held, with two well-armed guards posted by the door at all times.  

Once Gollum was safely ensconced in his prison, Legolas brought Aragorn to see Tracilena and Caranfindel.  The ranger made appropriately polite comments about how beautiful the child was, and then he and Legolas retreated to discuss the worsening state of Middle-earth.  "Be very careful of Gollum," warned Aragorn. "He is cunning and slippery, and if you let him have the slightest rein, he will take advantage and escape.  Do not be fooled into pitying him, for he is a vengeful creature without pity."  Legolas swore that he would faithfully perform the duty for which his father had summoned him.

Aragorn stayed only a few days as an honored guest, then took his leave, not saying where he was going.  Legolas bid him a fond farewell, telling him to complete whatever task lay before him as quickly as possible so that they could release Gollum and get back to their happy lives.

For the first four months of his captivity, Legolas kept Gollum in his prison cell at all times, making certain that his very best warriors kept the guard.  Legolas inspected them several times a day, reminding them not to be duped by the creature's pitiful cries.  

Meanwhile, Legolas, Tracilena, and Caranfindel formed the happiest of families.  The proud parents boasted to the king and all who would hear every time their pride and joy learned a new skill, from turning over to sitting up to crawling.  And, of course, there were the blissful nights when the cries of their lovemaking echoed through the halls of the palace.

Legolas's warrior's heart was softened by his happiness, and one spring evening he found that he could no longer withstand the pleadings of Gollum to be let outside for fresh air.  The creature further pleaded that he go out on moonless nights, as he was afraid of the "yellow face" and the "white face."  Legolas personally tied a rope around Gollum's neck and led him out into the forest, surrounded by a cadre of archers.  Legolas allowed Gollum to stay outside for only fifteen minutes that night, but little by little he was lulled into a false sense of security, as Gollum made no attempt to escape.  Gollum was, in truth, a wholly pitiable creature, bewailing his fate at the hands of the "cruel elveses."  After a month or so, Legolas started to allow Gollum to scamper up a tree, with a circle of archers, arrows nocked and pointed at the ready, standing below.  That was as much leeway as Legolas was willing to permit, and he always personally led these outings, his mighty bow trained into the trees.  He would not allow Tracilena and the baby outside at these times, partially from fear for their safety and partially from fear that they would distract him.  In truth, allowing Gollum his little forest forays was a blessing for all the guards, for he whined and moaned less as he was given this little bit of freedom.

One particularly dark night, Gollum refused to come down from his tree.  Despite much pleading and cajoling, and threats that they would never allow him out of the dungeon again, neither Legolas nor the other elves of the guard could bring him down from his perch.  Just as Legolas was about to climb the tree to fetch the creature, a band of orcs suddenly appeared.  There was a fierce battle, and when the elves had slain all of the orcs, they realized that Gollum had disappeared, and they had been duped by a plot.  Legolas called out the entire garrison to search the woods, but there was no sign of the creature Gollum.  He had escaped.  

When Legolas delivered the terrible news to the king, Thranduil flew into a rage.  "This is what comes of bonding with a mortal woman!" he bellowed.  "You have lost your skill as a warrior and have let pity and foolishness into your heart.  You must leave immediately and take this news to Aragorn, for I fear that this foreshadows a great evil.  You must take full responsibility for your actions, and follow through on any task for which you are called upon to rectify the situation, no matter how long it takes.  Your woman and my grandson will stay here under my protection.  This is my final word.  You leave in the morning."

Legolas mournfully made his way to his and Tracilena's chamber to tell her the news of his imminent departure.  They held each other and cried for a long time, then gently Legolas kissed Tracilena and they climbed into bed together, making love as tenderly and slowly as they had the night they first bonded.  They lay together in each other's arms until the cock crew, and with a heavy heart Legolas bid his bond-mate and his son farewell, promising to return, reminding Tracilena that they shared a bond that could not be broken.  Then Legolas, with a parting, sorrowful look over his shoulder, mounted Eirudel, Tracilena's beloved swift steed, and rode into the morning.


	17. The Mirror

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart

By TraceyI

17/18

The Mirror

Rated PG-13

The rest of the story is well documented elsewhere.  From June until October, Legolas rode in search of Aragorn, finally tracking him to _Imladris_, arriving on the morning of the Counsel of Elrond and delivering his terrible news.  He and Aragorn never spoke of Tracilena and Caranfindel and, following King Thranduil's command, Legolas volunteered for the Fellowship of the Ring, tamping down all the joy that had been in his heart and returning to his former self as the battle-hardened, wandering warrior.

At the woods of _Lothlorien_, the lady Galadriel looked deeply into Legolas's eyes and his soul and saw the great sadness and longing there.  One night when he was wandering alone among the _mallorn_ trees, Galadriel approached him.  "I know what you desire," she said to him in her low voice.  "I can show them to you."  Legolas eagerly followed her to the mirror, into which he poured water from the fount.  As he stared into the glassy surface, he saw to both his great joy and sadness his son running about before his mother, and he rued not being there for Caranfindel's first steps.  Then, much to his shock, he saw Tracilena turn toward him, and he could see that she was heavily pregnant.  He cried out in sorrow as he realized he would not be present for the birth of his second child.  

Then the scene changed, and Legolas saw to his horror fire and dark figures swarming through the woods surrounding his father's palace, a great battle between elves and orcs.  He saw Tracilena standing at the door to the children's room, her pregnant lady's bow in her hands, ready to do battle with any orcs who made it that far.  

There the vision ended.  Legolas sank to the ground.  "Legolas Greenleaf, you have much work to do," Galadriel told him.  "You cannot abandon the Fellowship to return to your bond-mate.  You must steel yourself for your coming trials and put from your mind what you have seen."

"I will do so, as it has been commanded by my father the king, though it be the most difficult thing I have ever done.  The time I have been away from Tracilena and Caranfindel seems longer than the rest of my long life."  Legolas squared his shoulders.  "But I was a warrior before I became a lover, and I will finish what I have started.  I have reasons to live, and I have reasons to see done what must be done.  If I must save Middle-earth in order to save my beloved family, then that is how it shall be."  And he turned and left the clearing.


	18. Homecoming

This is a work of fan fiction. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to this author. The author will not receive any remuneration for presenting the work. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the private enjoyment of readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the express written consent of the author.

My Heart to Your Heart

By TraceyI

18/18

Homecoming

Rated PG-13

After the many adventures of the Fellowship of the Ring and the many great battles that followed its dissolution, after the coronation of King Elessar and the king's marriage to Queen Arwen, after Legolas named Gimli elf-friend, after April 6, the New Year's Day of the Elves, when Celeborn and Thranduil met and renamed Mirkwood _Eryn Lasgalen_, The Wood of Greenleaves, Legolas set out for his father's newly-enlarged realm, riding as fast as Eirudel would carry him, with Gimli behind him.

Legolas had not told Gimli about Tracilena and Caranfindel, so his haste was curious to the dwarf.  When they finally arrived in _Eryn Lasgalen_, Legolas reined in his horse at the gate, leapt from the saddle, and ran into the underground caverns.  He was afraid that the intervening year would somehow have changed things, that his heart had hardened, that Tracilena would not forgive him for leaving.  When he arrived at their chamber, he found her waiting for him, as she had been every day since the end of the War of the Rings.  

"Do you know who that is?" she asked Caranfindel, who got to his feet from where he had been playing on the floor.  "Daddy!" the little redhead with the pointy ears shouted in _Sindarin_.  

Tracilena held an infant in her arms.  "This is Galadruin, radiant red flame, your daughter," she said to him.  "She was born the day Orodruin was cast down, and the sky was filled with fire."  All Legolas's fears fell away as he picked up his son and held him close, the child's laughter melting away all traces of the warrior.  Then he reached for the baby, and held her in his other arm, as both his and Tracilena's tears began to flow.  After several minutes of holding his beautiful offspring, Legolas stepped into the hall, where the nannies had retreated at his arrival.  He reluctantly turned his children over to the nannies, stepped back into the chamber, and closed the door.  

"Hello, Tracilena, my beloved bond-mate," he began unsurely.  "Words cannot express how much I have missed having you in my arms."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Tracilena answered with a shy smile.

Legolas slowly stepped forward, then quickened his pace and caught Tracilena up in his arms, spinning her around.  When he allowed her feet to touch the ground again, he took her face in both his hands, and their lips came together as if they would never be parted again.


End file.
